


Day 172

by Josh_the_Bard



Series: A Year in Kirkwall [172]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 11:48:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24849280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Josh_the_Bard/pseuds/Josh_the_Bard
Series: A Year in Kirkwall [172]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589257
Kudos: 1





	Day 172

Varric was one of the most infuriating people Aveline knew. He was involved in every shady dealing in the city yet somehow no one could connect him to anything illegal, except the adventures he got up to with Hawke, but then Aveline was equally culpable in those disasters.

Aveline had devoted herself to order and stability but one rule she held up above all other was: never abandoned a friend in need. Varric was a pain in the ass but he had always been there for Aveline when she needed him, how could she fail to do the same?

That was why she had left Donnic in charge of the barracks to march herself down to the Gallows to yell as some templars. Word had reached her by runner that the dwarf had been dragged through the streets by Ruvenna and a few others. Something about aiding and abetting escaped mages. Given their mutual friends it was probably true.

Aveline had reservations about letting mages walk free, especially after experiencing first hand the temptation they faced on a daily basis, yet she doubted the templars would be measured in their response. Besides, Aveline was having enough trouble with the templars overreaching their power, if they thought they could get away with nabbing citizens off their streets they might start using that as a way to eliminate opposition to the Order.

The templars at the Gallows wanted to turn her away but when she threatened to come back with a company of guards, magistrates and nobles, she was allowed into the room where they were holding Varric. The dwarf looked a little worse for wear, they had not been gentil in bringing him to the Circle it seemed. Ruvena was the highest ranking templar in the room so Aveline directed her ire at her.

“Care to explain why you’re grabbing citizens off the streets of my city?” Aveline demanded. 

“No I don’t,” Ruvena snapped. “This is a templar investigation, it is not under the authority of the guards.”

“Are you telling me you think Varric is an apostate?” Aveline asked.

“That would be quite the claim,” Varric laughed.

“Shut up, dwarf,” Aveline said, out of habit more than anything. She noticed a bit of blood mixed with spit leaking out of the man's mouth; a bit of bruising along the cheekbones. She felt like smashing something but took a deep breath and waited for Ruvena to respond. 

“Varric stands accused of aiding and abetting an escaped apostate,” the templar explained.

“Accused by who?” Aveline demanded. Varric was too smart to be caught like this. She wondered what had happened.

“We-We have a contact in the Carta,” Ruvena started but Aveline jumped on that.

“The Carta? Your evidence rests on the word of an admitted criminal? And one with a rivalry with the merchant’s guild at that? Will your ‘contact’ stand before a judge and testify?”

Ruvena opened her mouth but said nothing. Varric’s face was sporting a smug smirk that made Aveline almost regret coming to rescue him.

“The templars may have authority over the mages but that is where your power ends in this city, officially. The more mundane citizens-”

“Who are you calling mundale,” Varric muttered. Aveline ignored him.

“-are under my domane, and my protection. Come to me with evidence, more convincing then the word of a smuggler, and I may consider bringing charges against Master Tethras, until then, I will ignore this overstepping of your bounds and not take the issue up with the Knight Commander.”

“I’d pay to see that,” Ruvena said with a laugh, but it was a nervous laugh and she didn’t try to stop Aveline and Varric from leaving.

“This is the closest I think anyone has come to actually catching you in the past three years,” Aveline said, one they were safely on the boat crossing the harbour.

“Well I can tell you that I won't be working with the Carta again. Who would have thought that a group of smugglers, extortionists and thieves would be untrustworthy?”

“So everything she said was true?”

Varric gave Aveline a smirk that said he wouldn’t admit openly to anything. She sighed and looked away.

“All I’m going to say is that we should probably warn Hawk that he might have to do something about his guests sooner rather than later.”

“There are more?” Aveline asked.

“Yah.”

“And the templars are on to him?”

“Probably.”

“Well, shit.”


End file.
